Kara Ross has been there for us at clutch moments, so to speak. For the past 10 years, her handbags, belts and fine jewelry have been among the must-have pieces of every Palm Beach woman’s wardrobe. This year, Ross will open a Manhattan-area retail store, so her devotees won’t have to view her latest creations by appointment only.

“The hardest thing for me is juggling everything well,” admits Ross, who has two daughters and two stepdaughters. “For me, family comes first, and then I organize my duties and responsibilities around that. It helps to have a supportive husband who appreciates and respects what I do.”

That husband is none other than Stephen M. Ross, a real estate developer and the majority owner of the Miami Dolphins. It’s little wonder he’s so proud of his wife. Not only is she a board member at her alma mater, Georgetown University, but she also counts the First Family among her private clients. Ross hopes to spend more time at the family’s oceanfront home once her youngest daughter starts college this fall. “We’ll be empty nesters,” she says. “So hopefully we can take a Friday off and have a three-day weekend and enjoy it more.”